How to Start a Payment Gateway

People who want to build their own payment gateway solution often experience problems because of several common misconceptions. First, they think that in order to become a payment gateway provider, they just need to setup a payment gateway software platform, which would allow them to process transactions on behalf of other companies, i.e. merchants. In reality, finding a payment gateway product and installing it in a PCI compliant environment is only a part of the task. Another part, which is much more important, concerns finding an acquiring bank that is willing to underwrite you as a payment gateway provider. The second misconception is confusing acquiring banks with commercial banks. In contrast to a commercial bank an acquiring bank is authorized to underwrite merchants, PayFacs, and gateway providers, and issue merchant accounts. Only after you find an acquiring partner and get the respective specifications from this bank, it makes sense to look for the suitable gateway platform and start integration works.